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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29541246">Coccobello</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Don't copy to another site, Fluff, M/M, Sirius Black's Hair</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 19:20:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,059</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29541246</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sirius Black shaves his head and Remus hears angels sing.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sirius Black/Remus Lupin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Coccobello</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>School hasn’t even started yet, but the sun is already beating down mercilessly. After a typical English summer, the weather gods have apparently decided that everyone who is back in school or at work in September needs to be punished with a heatwave of biblical proportions, or at least, that’s what it feels like to Remus.</p>
<p>Remus listens half-heartedly to Dirk Cresswell, who is describing how he plans to convince Mr Flitwick that the school choir needs formal robes to look more professional. Remus thinks that Dirk probably had an unfortunate vintage obsession with the Sister Act franchise as a child.</p>
<p>“I’m not wearing that,” Remus says, pushing Dirk’s phone out of his face. “We’re gonna look like a bunch of ugly nerds.”</p>
<p>Dung snorts next to him. “You <i>are</i> nerds.”</p>
<p>“But not ugly!”</p>
<p>“Excuse me,” Dirk cuts in, “since when are you a fashion icon? You dress like a forty-year-old anthropology professor who tells everyone he’s on a sabbatical when it’s really just a mid-life crisis.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, on purpose. I look like this on purpose. Those potato sacks are not my style.”</p>
<p>Dirk is saying words to him and a small part of Remus is aware of the flapping of his jaw and the distant white noise of muffled human conversation, but at that moment Sirius Black walks by. Sirius Black who still had his usual shoulder-length hair yesterday. Now it’s just gone. Buzzed down to a scant few millimetres. And now his neck and his shoulders are right there for everyone to see, looking vaguely, wickedly naked.</p>
<p>“Can you hear angels sing?” Remus breathes. “’Cause I can hear angels sing.”</p>
<p>The voices around him are drowned out by the swelling choir of angels as Remus considers that even Black’s face appears to be more visible without the hair to distract from it, his features somehow sharper and more prominent. It’s a wonderful face. A face that deserves divine song and tinkling harps. Surely, any second now a single beam of sunlight will shine down like a celestial spotlight to illuminate the glory that is Sirius Black. And Black, cocky and playful as ever, will put on his sunglasses in his usual carelessly graceful way to bring the scene to a dramatic close.</p>
<p>“Can you focus?” Dirk snaps.</p>
<p>“Huh? No,” Remus sighs, “I’m gonna ask him on a date.”</p>
<p>The group of choir nerds plus Dung turn as one to look where Sirius Black is lounging in the popular corner with his popular friends.</p>
<p>“Are you insane? You’ll get yourself punched or humiliated. Anyway, weren’t you crying over your ex last week?”</p>
<p>Remus takes a break from staring at Sirius Black’s skull to look at Dirk and shrugs one shoulder. “I guess I’m over it.”</p>
<p>“Don’t forget the punching and the humiliating. People like us don’t just ask people like Sirius Black out. He’s going to crush you like a little chocolate bunny and all his friends are going to laugh about it. And the rest of us will have to pick up all the little pieces of you, including your sad, drooping, broken little bunny ears, and put you back to together again like a gay, teenaged Humpty Dumpty. But you’ll never be the same again.”</p>
<p>“Damn,” Dorcas says, who usually never deigns to speak before lunch, “your imagination is so violent. You need to chill. Maybe look at more pics of those stupid choir robes. That’ll calm you down.”</p>
<p>Remus rolls his eyes. “That’s ridiculous. If he does any of that, then Dung will make his life a living hell.”</p>
<p>Dung nods like that was never in question in the first place. “I sure will, moonshine.”</p>
<p>“See,” he tells Dirk with a reassuring smile, “it’s a win-win situation already. I’m gonna ask him to get ice cream with me, and it’s gonna be tasty, refreshing, and great.”</p>
<p>“Oh my god, at least ask him out for coffee, or,“ Dirk pauses, apparently struggling to think of something popular people might do in their spare time, “doing drugs together. Ice cream is so primary school.”</p>
<p>“But I don’t want coffee or drugs. I want ice cream. If he’s so keen on coffee and drugs, we can do that next time. You know, when he’s paying.”</p>
<p>Dirk grimaces. “Whatever, it’s your funeral.”</p>
<p>Remus doesn’t listen. Instead, he floats over to where Sirius Black is sitting with his friends. Flocks of students part ways before him as though instinctively aware of his higher purpose. Thoughts that someone like Sirius Black probably already has plans after school, or that he’s most likely not even single don’t enter Remus’ mind at all. He perceives the chatter around him, the laughing girls, the two boys grappling over a piece of paper, but all he really sees is Sirius Black in front of him, lazily scrolling through his phone.</p>
<p>“Hi! I’m Remus.”</p>
<p>Black looks up from his phone and tilts his head to the side like he’s confused, as though he has no idea that Remus is about to significantly change the course of their lives. “Okay?”</p>
<p>Remus is not discouraged. Because Heatwave Remus doesn’t suffer from Normal Weather Remus’ limitations. Heatwave Remus doesn’t remember shyness, insecurities, and heartbreak. Heatwave Remus has his eyes on the prize. “Can I buy you some ice cream after school?”</p>
<p>Black’s brow furrows and he looks briefly at the people around him. “Ice cream?”</p>
<p>“Yes! With me. After school. Like a date.” Remus already knows which flavours he’s going to get. One large scoop of kiwi-coconut, the perfect marriage of creamy sweetness and tart freshness. The second scoop will be sweet cherry, because sweet cheery makes gorgeous ice cream kisses.</p>
<p>Black lifts his sunglasses and gives him a slow once-over, taking in his billowing button-up, his short shorts, and the worn-out sandals. Remus doesn’t mind. It’s only fair, since he’s ogling Black’s head like a starved phrenologist. He used to think that all human bones are equal, but clearly some bones are more equal than others.</p>
<p>“Sure.”</p>
<p>Remus beams at him. “Awesome. Here,” he says, pushing his phone into Black’s unresisting hands, “give me your number and I’ll text you where to meet me.”</p>
<p>Black complies, still looking mildly bemused.</p>
<p>“Thanks. See you later!” Remus waves him goodbye and skips back to his friends to the soundtrack of the angel choir clapping, stomping, and cheering all around him.</p>
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